Fitness Lunge Challenge For Lower-Body Strength

This Trainer Wants To Do 100,000 Lunges In 9 Months - Here's Why

By the end of 2016, I will have done more than 100,000 lunges. That’s over 90 miles of lunges. I could lunge from my house (Indiana) to Ohio. Why would anyone do that? Let me tell you why I am, and why you should join me.

The Beginning

A couple of weeks ago, I limped out of the hospital feeling frustrated and discouraged. I lost count of how many different doctors I've seen for my back injury, but if I had to guess, I would say I’m well into the double-digits by now. I have booked over thirty appointments to try and solve this issue. My back is better, never good – but I’m not here to whine about it.

I have literally tried every mode of healing other than surgery — which I refuse to get. Better yet, no doctor is going to cut open a 26-year-old personal trainer for spine surgery.

I am telling you all of this to give you a bit of background on this lunge challenge. Because of this nagging back of mine, I’ve really had to monitor my movements in my workouts. Heavy squats, deadlifts, bent-over rows, etc. are out of the window for now. I simply cannot perform them without pain — no matter how perfect my form is. But I can perform lunges and other single-leg work with a much higher success rate.

So that sparked an idea.

Why not try to turn a negative situation into something great? Why not use my reach, although it’s not huge, to do something motivational for others? Many people get injured or suffer from minor aches and pains and stop exercising all together. I think that’s the worst thing you can do.

On March 18, 2016, I made a public commitment to perform 100,000 lunges by the end of the year. 100,000 sounded like a good number. I didn’t do the math or care to; I just picked the number and committed to it. I told everyone I knew about it — to get people involved and keep myself and others accountable.

From that day on, this challenge has developed into something more than just me doing lunges because of my bad back. This has morphed into a small community of dedicated individuals who are interested in bettering their health. And it’s growing. My clients have joined the fun, businesses and their employees are collectively lunging and people are starting to really show some interest in doing their own version of this challenge. It’s similar to what Cory Gregory, who has been a big influencer in my career, did with his #SquatEveryday project. Things like this have the ability to make a real impact on people’s health, and that is all I’ve ever wanted to do.

The Challenge

Let’s get into the specifics of this lungeathon. The rules are simple.

Rule #1: Create a goal number of lunges that you want to complete by the end of the year, starting now. The number must be over 10,000.

Rule #2: Do lunges daily until you reach that number. You can do variations of lunges such as walking lunges, stationary lunges, side lunges, split squats and, of course, feel free to add weight! Record your lunges. Count them and do not guess.

Rule #3: Use good form. Don’t be sloppy. You want these lunges to accumulate into something great for your health, not problematic knees and hips.

Rule #4: Do it. Don’t ever quit. You can work the lunges into your day however you feel is the most beneficial for you. Be accountable.

Rule #5: Have fun and spread the word. Have your friends and family join in. Think about doing 200 lunges every day for the next 200 days. That’s 40,000 lunges. Think about how much stronger your legs and core will be after 40,000 lunges. It’s a no-brainer.

I started using the hashtag #MakeAmericaLungeAgain because it’s relevant and witty, with Donald Trump going on weekly outbursts on his quest to presidency. It’s also very fitting in a general and literal sense. For some stupid reason, lunges — especially for men — seem to have been kicked to the curb and ignored. And on the general side of things, America is a morbidly obese country. It’s time to get our country more active. Let’s start by lunging – Make America Lunge Again.

Side note: I don’t know who I’m voting for yet, so this has no ties to my presidential preference.

The Growth

Right now this is a pretty small “club.” When AskMen asked me if I’d be interested in writing about this challenge, I realized that this could grow into some great – and I want it to. I also started to think bigger.

I’m asking you to join #MakeAmericaLungeAgain by following the five rules above and getting started today. Use the hashtag and connect with me on Facebook and Twitter.

What’s In It For You

All of these factors have a direct and positive impact on other lower-body movements such as squats and deadlifts. Lunging is one of the most essential primal movements a human can do. An besides the strength gains, this will help aesthetically too.

A few other benefits that can sprout from your improved lower-body strength include:

Increased knee protection and healthiness

Less stress on your lower back

Improved cardiovascular endurance

Increase in muscle mass

Decrease in body fat

Additionally, you’ll be proving to yourself that you can set a goal, achieve that goal and have the mental strength to do whatever it takes not to fail along the way. That alone is probably the most valuable reason to do something like this. Accountability is a major key to success.